It is truly commendable how open Carrie Fisher was with her addictions and her bipolar disorder. Both are on center stage in Wishful Drinking, though It is truly commendable how open Carrie Fisher was with her addictions and her bipolar disorder. Both are on center stage in Wishful Drinking, though much of the book also focuses on her upbringing and family. She writes in a biting style throughout - it's clear she wants the reader to laugh with her.
I'm not sure I'd recommend this memoir to anyone who's not already a fan. But I think we can all agree with this excerpt from the author's note: "At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you're living with this illness and functioning at all, it's something to be proud of, not ashamed of. They should issue medals along with the steady stream of medication."
Here's to destigmatizing both addiction and mental illness, and supporting each other....more
I grew up on SportsCenter, and Stuart Scott was my man. I never had the great fortune of meeting him, but wheI sobbed about as much as I knew I would.
I grew up on SportsCenter, and Stuart Scott was my man. I never had the great fortune of meeting him, but when he died, it felt like losing an acquaintance I'd always loved. I'm grateful this book gave me a chance to learn a bit more about his life.
Stories from his time coming up in broadcast were my favorite part of the book, though his love for his daughters also was touching. A fair amount of the back end is about his cancer journey and his reflections on that and life in general.
I only have one complaint, which is regarding the ads ESPN put out. He described them as depicting the "American male sports fantasy." It was the female sports fantasy too, Stu. Wish you were here so I could remind you that - I know you know....more
Thank you to Libro.fm and Simon & Schuster for a free ALC of this title for review.
I really liked this beautiful memoir. Saeed Jones writes of his expThank you to Libro.fm and Simon & Schuster for a free ALC of this title for review.
I really liked this beautiful memoir. Saeed Jones writes of his experiences as a "young, black, gay man from the South." This one's labeled as a coming-of-age memoir, and those aren't always of interest to me, but I'm happy to report that How We Fight For Our Lives is an exception.
Highly recommend listening to the audio, recorded by Jones....more
Nobody Cares was a decent reminder that, you heard Anne: Nobody cares.
Topics range from getting sober to being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, from Nobody Cares was a decent reminder that, you heard Anne: Nobody cares.
Topics range from getting sober to being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, from fixating on Leo to saying "no" to stuff. Be advised in addition to those there's a passing reference to disordered eating in the past as well as sexual harassment.
The highlight of this collection for me was the suggested behaviors for lessening anxiety. Unfortunately, as that was toward the beginning of the book, it was sort of downhill from there. Many of the essays just seemed to be missing something - maybe an extra page? A conclusion sans platitudes? Further connection to the real world or otherwise big picture? I'm not an editor; I don't know. I can just tell you that these sorts of essays often really work for me but they didn't so much here.
But I do think this collection will really work for fans of Jenny Lawson. And maybe those who appreciate a little self-help-y-ness with their memoirs. ...more
At first glance, Maid is a quiet memoir about one woman's life (and just a small window into a time in her life, at that). But dive in and what you'llAt first glance, Maid is a quiet memoir about one woman's life (and just a small window into a time in her life, at that). But dive in and what you'll find is an endlessly thought-provoking look at what life is like for someone poor - and how government benefits maybe work and maybe don't work. This book might very well lead you to reconsider your own assumptions and political opinions.
Land is white, and that privilege isn't quite explored in this book. I can understand that - it's tough to speak to experiences outside your own in a memoir - but I also kept thinking how some of her negative experiences might have been that much worse for people of color....more
I listened to the audio, which I think made the experience - read by Tiffany, you get all her inflections that way. I enjoyed some of her anecdotes abI listened to the audio, which I think made the experience - read by Tiffany, you get all her inflections that way. I enjoyed some of her anecdotes about growing up and coming up in the comedy world. But more than anything, I'm grateful to her for sharing her story of dealing with domestic abuse. She is upfront and honest about how she found herself in that situation - and what it took for her to leave it. I have the utmost respect to her for being vulnerable enough to share this, with the hopes that it'll help others.
(The story about Roscoe was cringeworthy at best, but I'm glad I stuck with this book for the above reasons.)...more
This is the rare memoir that makes you think more about your own life than the author's. If we're being honest,(heads up - a couple swear words below)
This is the rare memoir that makes you think more about your own life than the author's. If we're being honest, it's a little self-helpy for my tastes; if we're being really honest, I still read it because I could tell I was going to get something out of it. And I think I did.
In On Being Human, Jen talks about bullshit stories - lies our Inner Asshole (IA) tells us. (Um, hi, hello, "Inner Asshole?" I've got one of those. That's the voice telling me I'm a garbage person. I'm not worthy. I'm never going to xyz.) Jen wants us to "recognize them and eradicate them so they don't rearrange your DNA and live in your body as truth." Yeah. I can get behind that. I know how toxic these stories can be, and how they can hold you back. And I also know how hard it is to shut your IA up.
As I read this book, I tried to soak it up, but I also took so many little reflective breaks to think about how I can be kinder to myself. To think about which bullshit stories I've been carrying around with me. To make myself think through how and why those just aren't true. I'm grateful for this book (and Jen) for inspiring that.
As with many essay collections, some of those in Sister Mother Husband Dog: (Etc.) spoke to me more than others. My favorites were "Losing Nora" and "As with many essay collections, some of those in Sister Mother Husband Dog: (Etc.) spoke to me more than others. My favorites were "Losing Nora" and "Bakeries."
It was painful to read about their mother's alcoholism.
Delia's writing style isn't quite stream-of-consciousness, but it was a bit meandering for my taste. I do like her voice enough to be curious about her fiction writing. ...more
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